Beginning October 5th readers will have an opportunity to bid for baskets. The categories are Erotic Romance, Urban Fantasy, YA & Adult paranormal romance, and Horror/Suspense. We’ll be showcasing the baskets the week they go up for auction—detailing what’s in each basket and the contributing authors—with the auctions taking place on that Friday. In-between, we’ll also have guest posts on the blog from different authors and bloggers talking about their personal struggles with cancer, some who’ve battled the disease themselves, and some who have witnessed the ongoing struggle through someone else. It’ll also be a forum for people to talk about their experiences and maybe share some uplifting stories as well. Check out the official Scream ! For the Cure blog for more details!

Who it helps:

Stand Up 2 Cancer is one of leaders in supporting cancer research, and 100% of donations goes directly to research to end this horrible disease.

For me (and I’m guessing most people), physical perfection is something so far from being attainable I know I’ll never get there and don’t sweat the many imperfections on my skin and body. However, when I decided to set a book in the modeling world, I knew these flaws (and perceived imperfections) would play a big part in shaping my hero and heroine’s psyche.

A point struck me as I wrote this book, and again I think it’s true of most people. What a person sees as a less-than-perfect feature of their own body is beautiful and perfect (even sexy and arousing!) in the eyes of others, especially the people who care about them.

Gretchen Meyers is a full-figured woman living in a model thin world. Desperate to end her mother’s constant, nagging stream of dieting and fashion “advice,” Gretchen tackles the challenge of reviving her mother’s faltering modeling agency. All she needs is to woo back Kyle Ramsey, once the hottest model in the country.

Making the preemptive choice to turn his back on his career seemed Kyle’s only option until Gretchen comes calling. He doesn’t care what she wants to offer him, the answer is no. Still, he’s intrigued by her refreshing personality and all her lovely, lush curves.

When tragedy strikes, Kyle finds comfort and healing in Gretchen’s arms. But he can’t trust her with his career-ending secret and she doesn’t believe their relationship will survive the long term. He’s perfect and she’s not even close. Can the fragile ties holding them together survive Kyle’s opportunity to become a true model hero?

Excerpt:

The restaurant scene, then, had done its job. Gretchen would have to send Jamie flowers. No, she’d send a box of fattening chocolates instead. “Did you enjoy your evening after I left?”

Kyle’s gaze narrowed, he pushed himself out of the chair. “Did you arrange with Jamie to drop by our table?”

“How could I, when I had no idea where we were going for dinner until we were there?” Not to mention, she’d have preferred to sever essential body parts than ask Jamie Feldman for anything. But her irrational possessiveness was her own problem. “The important thing is you had a good time, and you’re ready to make up for everything you’ve been missing over the past year.”

“Those things aren’t important at all.” He advanced on her slowly.

She took a step back and came up against the door she’d closed a moment before.

Kyle flashed a predatory smile. He took her purse and briefcase from her shoulder, setting them aside. Then he rested his forearms on either side of her head and stared into her eyes, his lips a scant inch from hers as he spoke. “I’m here for you. Our date deserves another shot.”

Her heart thundered. The thick eyelashes framing his gray-green eyes mesmerized her. He stood too near for her to formulate a coherent response. This much physical perfection and sex appeal should be outlawed. Her mind was not equipped to handle it.

“What do you say?” he asked.

Yes, take me. “I say, why me?” Her voice rose with an embarrassing squeak as she struggled to compose a rational argument and remind herself she was in her office, just feet away from her employees who’d never seen her anything less than one hundred percent professional. “I get why you went out with me on Saturday. You’d shut yourself away from the world, and I was the first woman to find you. But you’ve been reminded you can have Jamie or anyone else you crook your finger for. Why do you still want me?”

His gaze softened with a tenderness that pierced her heart. He brushed his thumb along her cheek. “How could I not want you, Gretchen? You’re smart and funny and beautiful and not afraid to let a guy who has no idea what you like order for you on a first date.”

One Night with the Bridal Party is a subseries of Decadent Publishing’s popular 1Night Stand line. One Night With the Bride and One Night With the Bridesmaidshare the same opening scene where the bride’s mother presents each woman with a one-night stand a week before the wedding.
Meanwhile, the poor jilted groom has been twisting in the wind since his bride left him a year before. Fear not! He’s about to meet up with the woman from his past who still holds his heart captive, despite him spending fifteen years trying to forget her.

As if trying to save the family farm and pay her mother’s medical bills isn’t enough struggle, Luciana Cortez discovers her brother has used the last of the mortgage money to buy her a one night stand. Even if she wasn’t appalled at the prospect, her farm chores leave her too exhausted for sex. The silver lining: she’s also too busy to think about the man who’d once pledged to marry her then abandoned her.

Working on an important business deal, CEO Blake Wellington doesn’t think twice when he steps out of the limousine…until the car leaves. Instead of the business he needs to attend to, he’s on the doorstep of the farm where his past love Luciana lives. Without cell phone service or transportation, he must rely on her for help, a move that threatens to awaken his long-dead emotions.

As they attempt to gain closure over the ache and secrets of their past, neither are prepared for the onslaught of emotions that jeopardize everything they’ve worked their whole lives for. When the night is over, they must heed their responsibilities and go their separate ways, even if it means a lifetime of heartbreak.

EXCERPT:

“Blake.” Her heart bled as if she’d stabbed it with a pitchfork. She dropped her hand from her stomach to her side. “What are you doing here?”

“I haven’t the foggiest idea.” His lips curved in a crooked smile.

Aching to wrap her arms around him, to kiss his sexy mouth, to soak in his presence while grinning at him like a fool, she took a step back. She might not be hallucinating, but his sudden appearance had the power to drive her over the edge of insanity and longing. Her heel caught on the threshold at the opening of the barn, and she stumbled.

He reached for her, but she steadied herself on the doorframe, holding out her other palm to ward him away. She couldn’t handle seeing him, let alone skin-on-skin contact.

“Give me a minute,” she begged. “I’m kind of shocked to see you.” Kind of, ha. Completely would have been an understatement.

His smile faded. “Good shocked or bad shocked?”

“I don’t know yet.” The dead tree beside the barn creaked in the wind. She’d let her fear over it falling on the barn or, worse, in the other direction keep her from cutting it down, but the nasty gusts made her regret the decision.

“Keep me posted on which way it goes. I’m already skittish about getting shot at.”

“You won’t be unless you touch me, in which case I’ll shoot you myself.”

“Fair enough.” He pocketed his hands and stepped back.

The distance helped. So did the fact he didn’t call her bluff. Luciana’s limbs shook too much to pick up any weapon. At one time, she’d been furious with him for abandoning her when she’d needed him most. Although he’d bowed to her parents’ pressure and hadn’t fought to save their future together, her emotions had faded to regret and resignation.

“So, you decided to drop in after fifteen years without a word, and you don’t have a clue why?” Okay, maybe her anger hadn’t faded.

“I didn’t come to see you.”

“Ouch. Thanks for being straight with me, rather than sparing my ego. I think.”

He winced. “I didn’t mean an insult. I’m supposed to be in Des Moines to consider a potential property for my company to add to their hotel portfolio. But the limo took me here instead and then left me.”

Limo. Hotel portfolio. If he hadn’t been out of her league before, he’d traveled far beyond her social realm. “So, are you one of those ‘if I build it, they will come’ visionaries?”

“No, I’m a market-feasibility, make-sure-every-aspect-is-viable-before-I-sink-a-penny-into-it type of executive. I don’t have a reason that makes any sense for why I showed up here, and my cell phone isn’t getting reception. If I could borrow your landline to make some calls, I’ll get out of your hair as soon as possible.”

He hadn’t come to see her. He’d arrived by mistake and wanted to get far away without further ado. Once upon a time, they’d shared a rare, special love. She remembered it and regretted losing it, even if he didn’t.

I’m celebrating the release of One Night with the Bridesmaid, a 1Night Stand novella that follows the maid of honor from One Night with the Bride. This is a short, super-sexy, stand-alone read. I hope you have as much fun reading Sabrina and Rob’s story as I had writing it.

Gifted with a 1Night Stand, Sabrina Lopez decides to use the chance to hook up with a man who knows how to give a woman pleasure—a man she’d never have the nerve to approach in real life. Madame Eve exceeds her expectations with the opportunity of a lifetime—and the man of her dreams, movie director Rob Wellington. He might be out of her league, but she’s willing to risk it all for one night.

Believing Sabrina responsible for breaking up his brother’s wedding, Rob sets out to stop her from scamming her way into the groom’s bed—even if he has to take his brother’s place. The last thing he expected to discover was a woman he could love and hold for the rest of his life—if he can convince her that he wants more than one night….

If you missed One Night with the Bride, here’s a peek at it. (Both books are stand-alone, so you can jump into either story and feel right at home!)

When her society matron mother presents Caroline with a one-night stand date a week before her wedding, she’s appalled. Even worse, the encounter will take place at the fantasy ranch resort operated by her high school lover, Javier Alvarado. Although determined to remain faithful to her fiancé, she’s tempted and intrigued to see her first love again. It’s not like she has to sleep with him.

But one look and kiss later, she yearns for the man she walked away from so long ago. Unfortunately, when Javier discovers Caroline is engaged, all he can see is deception and heartbreak all over again.

Can a 1Night Stand from Madame Eve reunite them or will one night with the bride sever their ties forever?

The stereotypical CEO is rich, powerful, alpha, take charge, ambitious, industrious, smart, and well-dressed. Who wouldn’t want to snag a man who has it all? Even better, he’s attracted to you.

When you meet him in the office, you’re in his domain—the king in his castle. But it’s a workplace, so there is an element of forbidden to the relationship. You shouldn’t be doing that. Especially there.

The forbidden man in his element—could anything be more irresistible? Willow Jeffries thinks the workaholic CEO she’s been assigned to give massages to is hot but plenty resistible, but if she could loosen him up on a personal level, he might have some potential. Plus, she’ll be doing her part to make the world a better place and make him a well-rounded person.

He might have all the power, but she’s not intimidated by him. After all, she’s a woman with nothing to lose.

When live-for-the-moment massage therapist Willow Jeffries bursts into Colin Vanderhayden’s office, she makes it her mission to loosen up the future-focused CEO, knowing each moment of the present is too precious to waste. Despite her immediate attraction, the only future she can offer is one full of heartache.

The last thing Colin needs is a flighty woman messing up his carefully-constructed plans, but her heavenly massages and addictive personality prove hard to resist. But he has no idea how sick she is.

No longer able to ignore her life-threatening medical condition, Willow slips away to spare Colin a miserable future with her. Is Colin willing to sacrifice his well-laid future plans to get Willow back?

Excerpt:

Cupping her face with his hands and angling his mouth, he poured the intensity she’d previously only seen him devote to his work into turning her body into a tingling, craving mass of need. She loved the way he cradled her-so gentle, yet firm.

Stars danced in front of her eyes, but she willed them away to press her tongue between his lips. No matter how light-headed she became, she refused to miss a moment of the kiss. Colin’s mouth made the opportunity to enjoy worth the risk of passing out.

But, too soon, he broke off, panting, his eyes dilated with desire. “I have to get that.”

“Get what?” His words made no sense, then her ears started ringing. No, not her ears. His damned phone.

“Of course you do.”

But he’d already turned his attention to a conversation he gave far more importance to than anything she offered.

Sinking onto the couch, she pressed her fingers to her still tingling lips. Dear God, she hoped she didn’t affect him as strongly as he affected her. If he became emotionally invested, she’d bring pain and misery into his life.

Author Bio:

Sara Daniel writes irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. On the personal side, she’s a frazzled maid, chef, chauffeur, tutor, and personal assistant. She battles a serious NASCAR addiction and was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels. She follows research and new developments concerning tricuspid atresia and other congenital heart defects, and she holds a special place in her heart for “heart kids” and their families.